On a plan for civil engineering you can draw a box to show the location of a lift station. It’s easy to envision it as an individual piece of equipment.

The water is actually pumped from a source and then pumped to the station. It also depends on the structural components such as power, control, and access to the site.

A question that is helpful to project teams trying to select the ideal lift station designer is whether they consider the interfaces and not just what happens within the station.

Image credit: romtecutilities.com

Begin to move upstream of the Wet Well

Think about a development for residential use. Wastewater flows through the collection system toward the lift station. The capacity of the lift station is determined by the incoming flow and elevation of the site.

After the water is wet the next set of decisions begin. Pumps, piping and valves, structural components, controls, and perhaps auxiliary equipment should be appropriate to the application.

Romtec Utilities designs wastewater systems for commercial, municipal, and industrial sites, as well as development applications.

The project-specific approach is important since what happens downstream could alter the goal of the pumping station.

Be sure to follow the water beyond the pumps

The engineering challenge doesn’t stop after the liquid has left the well. The pumping systems have to be capable of pushing the liquid according to the hydraulic conditions of downstream systems. The design and selection of the station is therefore influenced by the needed flow and head requirements.

That connection is particularly important when evaluating the best wastewater designers. A pump may have amazing specifications on its own however its performance must to make sense within the overall hydraulic system.

Romtec Utilities has the ability to design the structural components that comprise mechanical components, electrical components, as well as the communication systems of pumping stations as a complete package. This enables the system to be coordinated with the requirements established for the particular project.

Stormwater is its own network of Connections

Stormwater provides a different aspect of the infrastructure puzzle. Runoff from developed surfaces may be able to enter an infrastructure for collection and flow through detention, drainage or flood management. Where pumping is required, the station becomes a single link within a larger stormwater plan.

For companies looking for the most efficient stormwater system design, it is worth examining whether site conditions, flow rates, head requirements and environmental concerns, as well as the stormwater plan surrounding it are assessed in conjunction.

Romtec Utilities supplies customized stormwater pumping systems for commercial, residential industrial, and municipal projects rather than relying on the same configuration for each application.

Coordination Extends Above Ground Too

There are many interfaces that require pipes. Electrical service must be able to support the equipment. Control and communication systems should be adapted to the requirements of the project. Contractors must have plans and documentation. In the case of installation, startup or later services, physical access could be required.

These connections can involve several disciplines and project partners, making an organized system documentation especially valuable. Romtec Utilities can provide complete project plans and documentation and also provide support for its systems during startup, testing and commissioning.

Take a look outside the station Boundary

A lift station can be properly designed as an individual facility and still be part of a poorly coordinated project if its connections to the outside haven’t received enough attention.

A better perspective of design takes into account the water. What is its source? Under what conditions does it arrive at the station? What should happen during its stay there? What happens after it leaves? What infrastructure will support the entire process?

The answers to these questions change the design of lift stations from a basic equipment test into a complex infrastructure project.